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470. MAN AFTER DEATH IS SUCH AS HIS LIFE HAD BEEN IN THE WORLD.
Every Christian knows from the Word that one's own life awaits him after death; for it is there said in many passages that man will be judged and rewarded according to his deeds and works; and no one who thinks from good and from real truth can help seeing that he who lives well goes to heaven and that he who lives wickedly goes to hell. But the evil man is unwilling to believe that his state after death is according to his life in the world; he thinks, especially when he is sick, that heaven is granted to everyone out of pure mercy, whatever his life may have been, and that this is done in accordance with his faith, which he separates from life.

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471. That man will be judged and rewarded according to his deeds and works is declared in many passages in the Word, some of which I will here quote:

The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels and then He will render unto everyone according to his works (Matthew 16 verse 27).
Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow them (Revelation 14 verse 13).
I will give to everyone according to his works (Revelation  2 verse 23).
I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God; and the books were opened and the dead were judged out of the things that were written in the books according to their works. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up those that were in them, and they were judged everyone according to their works (Revelation  20 verses 12, 13).
Behold I come, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his works (Revelation  22 verse 12).
Everyone that heareth My words and doeth them I will liken to a prudent man; but everyone that heareth My words and doeth them not is likened to a foolish man (Matthew 7 verses 24, 26).
Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens; but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in the heavens. Many will say unto Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and through Thy name cast out demons, and in Thy name done many mighty works? But then will I confess to them, I know you not: depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity (Matthew 7 verses 21 to 23).
Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk before Thee; Thou hast taught in our streets. But He will say, I tell you I know you not, ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13 verses 25 to 27).
I will recompense them according to their work and according to the doing of their hands (Jeremiah 25 verse 14).
Jehovah, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of men, to give to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his works (Jeremiah 32 verse 19).
I will visit upon his ways and recompense to him his works (Hosea 4 verse 9).
Jehovah doeth with us according to our ways and according to our works (Zechariah 1 verse 6).

In foretelling the last judgment the Lord recounts nothing but works, teaching that those that have done good works will enter into eternal life, and those that have done evil works will enter into damnation, as in Matthew (25 verses 32 to 46), and in many other passages that treat of the salvation and condemnation of man. It is clear that works and deeds constitute the outward life of man, and that the quality of his inward life is made evident in them.

472. But by deeds and works, what they are inwardly is here meant, and not the way they outwardly appear; for everyone knows that every deed and work goes forth from the man's will and thought; otherwise it would be nothing but a movement like that of an automaton or image. Consequently, a deed or work viewed in itself is merely an effect that derives its soul and life from will and thought, even to the extent that it is nothing but will and thought in effect,

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